Goofy Steve
by hazelmom
Summary: A tag to 6x25. Danny gets the appreciation he deserves. Don't read if you haven't watched.
6

A/N: This is my tag to 6x25. Great episode. So totally impossible, but I don't look for common sense in an H-50 episode anymore. I couldn't get this tag out of my head so I am addressing the whole Danny not being appreciated angle. It also addresses why the ending wasn't more gooey. **Please don't read if you haven't watched.**

Also, I am finishing last chapter of Auntie. The last month of the semester is always bad, but this one was the worst so I really dropped the ball on pleasure writing. I hope there will still be readers out there for it. Sorry. Sheila

 **Goofy Steve**

" _Control, that's not gonna work. My partner, he's unconscious. If I put this thing in the water, I'm not gonna be able to get him out of the plane. He's gonna drown."_

 _Control: "You don't have a choice, Detective."_

" _Yeah, yeah, I got a choice. I'm going to put this thing down on the beach, okay?"_

" _Control: "Detective, we strongly advise against that. I understand your concern for your friend, but consider yourself. Your best chance of survival is a water landing."_

" _Listen, I'm not gonna put it down in the water. I'm gonna put this thing down on the beach. Okay? Clear the beach. I'm coming in."_

Steve sighed. "Play it again."

Chin looked at the door to the room. "No. He could come back any minute. I doubt they let their patients wander the hallways forever."

Steve opened the drawer of his side table and pulled out a tracking monitor. He studied it for a moment. "He's in the cafeteria undoubtedly mainlining caffeine- against doctor's orders."

"You're tracking him. How?"

"Jerry had a chip sewn into the hem of like six of these gowns. The nurses know and they make sure he's wearing one of those every day. We had to do it. He was driving them crazy. You know him. He can't sit still and the nurses were tired of searching the grounds for him."

"What's he still doing here? He was supposed to be out two days ago."

Steve made a face. "Infection. Not uncommon but concerning. He gives me half his liver and now I'm healing faster than he is. It's killing me."

Chin let out breath. "Man, I didn't know. I talked to him on the phone yesterday and he said he was doing great. Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah. He's on antibiotics and the fever is down."

Chin got up. "He shouldn't be up walking around. Let me go get him."

Steve put up a hand, shaking his head furiously. "God no! Then he would know that I told you. Trust me. I'm still sharing a room with this guy. Besides, I have been assured by the nurses that it's a good sign that he's walking around."

"So, why am I here with a copy of the cockpit recorder?"

"Nightmares. Every night. Three or four of them. Doctor wants to put me in another room, but I won't let him. I want Danny to talk about them, but he won't. I know they rattle him because he's not even cranky about it. He just apologizes for waking me, and if I push him, he leaves the room."

"Well, you heard the audio. It was bad. You were dying, he had a gun at his head, and a plane without fuel was going down that he didn't even know how to fly."

Steve nodded. "He should've put it down in the water. A beach landing was a ridiculous idea."

"You heard it. He was afraid you were going to drown."

Steve worked his mouth for a moment. "God, I love that crazy son of a bitch."

"I know," Chin nodded. "And he loves you like crazy too. He just shows it differently than the rest of us."

"You mean the rest of the human race, right?"

Chin chuckled. "He's unique all right. You should've seen him, Steve. You were going into surgery with massive blood loss. He's got a broken rib after just landing a frickin' plane on Waikiki, and instead of spending four hours vomiting his fear into a toilet, he turns and leads us into battle against Dae Won. We have a firefight with those assholes with him nursing that bad rib with one hand the whole time. Then he comes back to the hospital, and offers up his liver. I hate to say this, Steve, but he out-McGarretted you on your best day."

Steve smiled and shook his head. "That's my boy."

The monitor beeped and Steve grabbed it. "He's on the move."

"Should I go?"

"No, he'd love to see you. Just put away the cockpit recording."

Chin stuck it in his front jeans pocket and settled into his chair. "You know, you got all the attention, all the cards, and so forth. Maybe, we should do a little something for Danny."

Steve winced. "That's a tough one. On the one hand, he deserves it. But on the other hand, he'll question your motives. He'll tell you that he doesn't need people feeling bad for him, what he did was just part of his job. And he hates surprises. We gotta play it cool."

Chin said. "We could call it a "thanks for saving, Steve" party."

"God no. That just makes it about me again."

"How about a party for the world's greatest pilot?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Are you intentionally bad at this, Chin? Have you considered the fallout from the crash landing? The man has an intimate relationship with anxiety. From now on, every time we want to hop an island, we're going to have to hogtie and dose him. It's not going to be pretty."

Chin groaned. "My brain hadn't even gone there. I'm stuck. How do we celebrate the world's best haole?"

"We don't." Danny shuffled into the room, eyes looking glassy. "No parties. I don't want your sympathetic leftovers."

Steve smiled. "Hi Sunshine."

"It's not like that, brah," Chin said giving Steve a look as Danny eased into bed. "You were a superhero, and we want to say thanks."

"It's my job, Chin. We don't celebrate doing our damn jobs," Danny muttered. "I'm tired."

Chin stood. "I should get the doc."

"Why?" Danny eyed him suspiciously. "Being tired is not a sign of anything dire, is it?"

"You just look a little flushed," Chin said. Steve squeezed his eyes shut.

Danny narrowed his eyes at Steve. "You told him about the infection."

Steve shrugged. "So what? He's your friend and he loves you."

"He'll tell everyone."

"Uh, "he" is in the room with you, and I don't think I have that kind of reputation," Chin said evenly.

Danny closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Chin. You're right. I just don't like it. I want to go home. I want to see my kids. I want to sleep in a room without Mr. Twenty Questions."

"I know, brah." Chin leaned over and offered a fist bump. Danny accepted halfheartedly.

"That's my ohana," Steve said with a smile on his face.

Danny looked at him and then at Chin. "What happened to him? He's got a goofy look on his face."

"I thought we called that a smile."

"I know, but why is it there?"

"I'm just happy to be with my boys." The smile on Steve's face refused to die.

Danny wrinkled up his face. "What? Is he high? What did you do to him?"

"I, I didn't do anything," Chin said.

Danny studied both of them and then zeroed in on Chin's jeans. "There's a bulge in your pocket, Chin, and I know it's not 'cause you're happy to see me."

"Danny, calm down." Chin got up. "I should probably let you get some sleep."

"I'm going to put money down that you have the audio from cockpit recorder in your pocket. A hundred bucks. Empty your pocket. Prove me wrong. The money is yours."

Steve threw his hands up. "Danny, what does it matter? So, I wanted to know what happened after I lost consciousness. I run a task force. That's standard protocol."

Danny reddened. "I don't want to hear it."

"You don't have to, Buddy. I heard it. That's enough," Steve said softly.

Danny looked at Chin. "You did this. I can barely tolerate "Control Freak Steve", but now, you are leaving me with "Goofy Steve." I hate "Goofy Steve."

"What are you talking about, Pal? Chin's right. You just need a little sleep. You want I should turn on the TV? How about a snack? I know you like those vanilla puddings. Let's get a tray full of those and have a party."

Danny swallowed. "Get a nurse, Chin. I need a room change now!"

"Hey, it's okay. I know what you did for me. You're an amazing man, Danny, and I can't- I'm just so lucky to have you in my life."

"Stop it! Stop smiling! Stop saying shit you find in greeting cards! Stop it!"

"Okay." Steve managed to muffle his grin.

"Um, are you guys going to be okay?" Chin asked.

Danny pointed at Steve. "If you really think I'm that amaaazing, then you're not going to look at me or talk to me for the rest of the day. We're going to put on a game. I don't care what sport. We're gonna find one and we're going to watch it. And if I fall asleep and have a bad dream, you're going to leave me alone about it. It's my damn dream and I will not want to talk about it."

Steve nodded, biting his mouth shut.

"If I see you with a goofy look on your face, I'm going to bean you with this lamp. I swear to God."

Still biting the inside of his mouth, Steve gave him a thumbs up.

"So, it's okay to leave then," Chin said slowly.

Danny lay back and felt for the remote. Then he handed it to Chin. "This is your fault so find us a game before you go."

Chin dutifully searched the listings until he found a women's softball tournament. Danny nodded his approval.

Chin got to the door and looked back. Steve was propped up on his side and shaping a heart with his hands to Danny.

He escaped to the sound of, "I hate you so much right now."

…

The End


End file.
